Novel oligosaccharide chains on polysialoglycoproteins isolated from rainbow trout eggs. A unique carbohydrate sequence with a sialidase-resistant sialyl group, DGa1NAc beta 1 leads to 4(NeuGc2 leads to 3)DGa1NAc.

A series of novel carbohydrate chains all possessing a hitherto unknown trisaccharide unit, Ga1NAc beta 1 leads to 4-(NeuGc2 leads to 3)Ga1NAc beta 1 leads to, have been isolated from trout egg polysialoglycoproteins, a new class of glycoproteins, on alkali-borohydride treatment. On the basis of chemical (methylation, Smith degradation, and hydrazinolysis-nitrous deamination) and direct-probe mass spectrometric methods. deamination) and direct-probe mass spectrometric methods, the structures of a series of the first major type of oligosaccharide alditols having a sialidase-resistant N-glycolyneuraminic acid residue in each molecule were determined. The structures thus determined are novel and all possess a unique carbohydrate sequence (sialidase-resistant unsubstituted sialyl group italicized): Ga1NAc beta 1 leads to 4(NeuGc2 leads to 3)Ga1NAc beta 1 leads to 3Gal beta 1 leads to-4Gal beta 1 leads to 3[(leads to 8NeuGc alpha 2)n leads to 6]Ga1NAcol (n = 0 through 3).